Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been a “tricky political operator” when it comes to embattled Labor senator Fatima Payman.
Taking a question on Albanese’s statement during question time on Wednesday all but confirming the rogue senator would leave the party, Dutton said Albanese said that to “spite the story of Fatima Payman”.
“Anthony Albanese … he’s a lifer, he’s been in parliament for almost 30 years. He’s a tricky political operator, there’s no question about that. What he’s tried to do here is, to spike the story of Fatima Payman, who clearly is going to go out into another party or into some … independent collaboration,” Dutton said.
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“I don’t know what her plan is, but clearly the prime minister does. I think he’s trying to spike that story, I think that’s what’s happened there.”
It’s worth noting that Dutton has been in parliament since 2001. That’s only five years after Albanese was first elected in 1996.
Dutton then claimed the saga was an example of what would happen if Labor formed minority government after the next election.
“I think what it does demonstrate is that the prime minister – if he’s in a minority government in the next term of parliament – it will include the Greens, it’ll include the green teals, it’ll include Muslim candidates from Western Sydney. It will be a disaster,” Dutton said.
“If you think the Albanese government is bad now, wait for it to be a minority government with the Greens, the green teals and Muslim independents.”